Apparatus for safeguarding automobiles from theft.



O. A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR SAFEGUABDING AUTOMOBILES FROM THEFT.

. APPLICATION TILED MAY 12. 1913.

1;,132J28, Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

I V 2 SHEETS-SHEET l WITNESS-15S.-

O. A. SMITH. APPARATUS FOR SAPEGUARDING AUTOMOBILES FROM THEFT.

'APPLIGATION FILED MAY12.1913.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

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UNITE STATES Parana: onmoa.

OLIVER A. SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR O33 ONE-KALF TO GEORGE A. RUSSELL, 0F SPRINGFIELD,-MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR SAFEG-U'ARDING AUTOMOBILES FROM THEFT.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed May 12, 1913. Serial No. 767,089.

To all whoa/z. it may concern Be it known that I, OLIVER A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Hassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Apparatuses for Safeguarding Automobiles ironiTheft, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This'invention relates to means provided on an automobile, the object of which is to insure, in case a dishonest or unauthorized pers n attempts to start the machine through the usual controlling lever or member, the giving of a shock to such person which will act as a deterrent against his further wrongful efforts.

A further object of the invention is to provide instrumentalities for the purpose aboveset forth which largely are stock parts or devices or instruments of commerce so that in the carrying out of my invention very little in the nature of special equipment is required. r

I The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is defined in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section of the forward art of an automobile having contrivances o the present invention provided thereon. Fig. 2 is a partial front elevation of an automobile with the improved devices shown there on. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the box or inclosure in which the lock device and the bell or audible alarm are contained, Fig. 4 being a cross section through the same taken on a plane at right angles to that on 'which'Fig. 3 is taken and as indicated bythe section line 4+4. Fig.- 5 is a view in detail showing the gear shifting lever and the quadrant appurtenant there'-' to and showing the electrical connections to be established thereby. In this view the lever is shownas in its neutral position. I Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 except that the lever is shown in its ositionifor' throwing in the low gear. ig.'7 is' a viewdiagrammatically illustrative of the entire jnovel apparatus.

"Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the engine, 6 the magneto, a an induction coil, d the lock and bell box, 6 the. gear shift ing lever, a small battery, 9 a key carried by the authorized operator oft e car, it one of the contacts operated by the gear le' ver, j the other contact operated by the gear lever, j a leather strip which acts as a guard for contact 7', 7c the quadrant for the gear lever, Z a ring of insulation which serves to insulate the gear shiftin leverfrom its shaft and mcidentally fom. any contact with the frame of the cart m is a block of insulation on which is mounted the contacts Z1, and j. j

n is an alarm bell, 0, p, g,and r represent electrical contacts, .9 the dash board of car; 2? is a shoe, preferably of insulation which presses contacts 0 and 9 against contacts p and? when key 9 is turned by operator; t is a bolt to which the shoe t is attached; it represents the lock itself, oa

shaft which when turned by the key 9 operates the bolt t up or down as the case may be.

*w is a block of insulation on which is mounted contacts 0, p, g and r; w is the primary winding of induction coil 0, 3 is the secondary winding of induction coil 0, .2

represents a. ground connection attached to any convenient. part of the frame, engine, etc.

1 is a wire connecting the positive terminal of battery fwith one of the contacts j, 2 is a wire connecting the negative terminal of battery f with contact 0 in'lock box d; 3 is a wire connecting one of the contacts h with one end of primary coil at; 4 is a wire connecting the gear shifting lever c with one end of secondary coils y; 5 is a wire con necting the other ends of: both theprimary and secondary coils with positive terminals of the alarm hell it; 6 is-a ground wire con necting wire 5 with thefranie-of the car at of the contacts 5 with the other contacts 7'.

11 is a wire connecting wire 3 with the other contacts h.

The operation of the device is as follows:

statedg the operator of the car carries. a

,wh'bh' may be of any shape or. style 1-1 -q with contacts p and '1".

tomary'practice. If, while the operator is absent, any unauthorized person attempts to steal the car, he first starts'the engine unless it was left running by the operator, and then proceeds to place the gear shifting lever e in either low e1; reverse position. It might be mentioned here that although as shown only for the low and reverse posi' tions on the quadrant 7c, the contacts h and 9 could be so made as to be closed if the lever e was placed in either intermediate or high positions on the quadrant. Therefore, placing the lever e in any position except neutral, will close the contact between 7:. and j which establishes a complete circuit and the device acts at once. I

' Referring to the wiring diagramyl ig. 7, when the lever e is placed in any position except neutral, the contact between 7 and h is established and the currentfrom the battery f flows, through wire 1 to contact j and then to contact h throu h wire 3 to primary coil at, through coil :0, t rough wire 5 to bell 1a, through the bell which rings and sounds thealarm, then through wire 8 to contact p, then to contact 0, then through wire 2 back to the negative terminal of the battery, ,1. As the current'flows through the primary ,coil 02, it induces ahigh tension currentin grounded through wire 7, contacts 0' and the secondary coil 3 which flows; through wire 4 to the lever e. As'thelevere is grasped by the hand of theparty wishing to start the car, the high tensioncurrent will pass through his body and then to the frame of the car and from there back through the ground wire 6 and part of Wire 5. to'the negative terminal of the secondary coil y. This will give a'severe shock to the aforesaid party. At the same time as the contact between 9 and r is closed the magneto Z: is

ground wire 9 to ground on the frame at enginec, or prevent its {This will stop the running. r The cover (I over the bell n and the lock to is perforated so the ringing of the bell will,

he perforations h to enable any one to or the lock mechanism; The lock and bell mechanism is in arbor: d as before stated, and is preferably located under the foot board or on the back of the dash S with the sleeve of the lock u P110".-

jecting through either the dash or the foot board to enable the operator to lock or unlock the mechanism with his key 9'. The induction coil box (I is located near to the lock and bell box 03. The battery f is placed in any convenient place.

' On an'automobile of the older manufacture, the'generator comprised in the ignition system might instead of amagneto be substitutcd bywhatis to be herein regarded as the known equivalent thereof, that is a coil box operatively dependent on a battery, and

the same may be rendered inefle'ctive in substantially the same manner and by the employment of the same means as herein described and in conjunction with the magneto shown. And, of course, if the car 1s equippedwit h both magneto and battery, the 1 wiring 7 could be in connection with both the magneto and coil box so that whichever system-is switched in will, under the operation of the key. controlled de'yices,-be short circuited or rendered ineffective asmanifest.

It is tobe understood that the several circuit closing members or switches comprised in the apparatus substantially as described are to be composedbf spring metallicdevices operative by reason of their'resiliency, to be sprung to their opened positions when permitted so to do.

Although this invention has been primarily conceived of for, utilization on an automobile equipped withan explosionengine, itstransportation for equivalent" effect to a motor boat would be entirely manifest; and

under certain aspects of the invention it is and which action controlling me nb r has connection with the secondary coil 0 that when the primary circuit is closed the current from the secondary coil, connected with said actionfcontrolling member willpass through and impart a shock to a person attempting through said action controlling member to establish propulsive conditions for the vehicle. v 2. In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, an action controlling lever for establishing driving conditions for the vehi cle, contacts adjacent and at opposite positions relatively thereto and switch members cotiperative with the lever and with said and having connection with both said switch members, portions thereof having connections with said contacts, and said circuit also,

having an opening therein at another p0rtion thereof, and key controlled means for closing such opening in the circuit,-said circuit also comprising a primary and a secondary coilWhich, latter is electrically connected with the said action controllin lever and with both of the said-contacts a jacent such lever, e

3; in ari scribed, an action controlling lever forestabfishing driving conditions for the vehicle, contacts adjacent and at opposite positions relatively there o and switch members 00- apparatus of the character de-.

operative With the lever anti with said con tacts, a circuit comprising a generator and having connection with both said switch members, portions thereof having connections with said contacts, and said circuit also having an opening therein at another portion thereof, and key controlled means for closing such opening in the circuit,said circuit also comprising a primary and a secondary coil, which latter is electrically connected with the said action controlling lever.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in

presence of two subscribing witnesses.

V OLIVER A. SMITH.

Witnesses: v i 5 WM. S. BELLOWS, G. R. Dmscom. 

